Louis “Uncle Louie” Gregory is a unique proposition as it relates to hip-hop, having published a book documenting his leadership journey. “American Frontline: From Hip-Hop to Homeland Security” tells his life story and insights into leadership, from his formal upbringing to his dynamic career in New York. But who is he? Gregory has worked for the country’s largest government agencies, managed sports talent, and has been associated with some of the biggest names in hip-hop.
The book tells the story of working with Billy Joel, making hits with J-Lo, LL Cool J and Mary J. Blige, and connecting with Prince Markie Dee of The Fat Boys and Eric B of Eric B. & Rakim . He navigated the world of wrestling alongside WWE Champion Goldberg, received business advice from mentor Michael Strahan and appeared on national television’s “The Goldbergs.” He even advised Yang’s presidential campaign and strengthened U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s communications strategy.
Gregory served as an official and director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for 20 years since the 9/11 attacks. Gregory spent his nights chasing drug smugglers and his days helping produce platinum albums. Now, he talks to AllHipHop about his path. Please read on.
AllHipHop: How do you reconcile being affiliated with law enforcement and within hip-hop?
Uncle Louie: Good question. I don’t think the two are necessarily opposing forces. I believe it’s the first responders’ job to keep us safe. I grew up in prison with my father, but that didn’t make me hate law enforcement officers. For me personally, I wear my badge and uniform to prevent terrorism. I hope all good people will support this. After 9/11, I left hip-hop, putting my dreams and ambitions aside and putting this mission first. I feel the need to make sacrifices for the good of everyone, not just me. Sometimes I look back and wonder what I missed; what could I have accomplished if I had just focused on myself and my career instead of working in law enforcement? This is a big assumption.
AllHipHop: What originally made you write this book?
Uncle Louie: There’s a lot going on in our world and in my life. I really want to share my story and encourage other people, but also acknowledge the fact that no one, no organization is completely perfect, so it’s our responsibility to try to fix things and improve situations, whether it’s culturally, musically, Or enforce the law. I was recently inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame and when they read about my achievements they mentioned my contribution to the country and in the background they played Eric B and Rakeem. At that moment everything seemed to come full circle. How could I share such a complex work without my book? I hope someone will read this book and want to make a movie about my life!
AllHipHop: Tell people about your history through classic acts like The Fat Boys and Eric B & Rakim. How has hip-hop shaped you?
Uncle Louie: In my book, I share the details of my story: as a rapper, becoming a producer, a federal agent, a professional sports agent, a television actor, an invention home and an entrepreneur. This is a story that most people won’t and don’t believe at first. I attribute a lot of this to the early guidance of Prince Markie Dee and the ongoing guidance of mentors like Eric B and Michael Strahan. It took me over 40 years to understand that the key to success is to do less, not more. By focusing on a single scope, I was able to create some amazing things. A collectible empire called “American Frontline”. It was only after gaining the confidence to do so that great success was achieved. I credit Strahan with instilling that confidence in me. Obtaining an inventor’s patent was a huge accomplishment for me. It feels like a platinum record!
AllHipHop: How about joining the Department of Homeland Security? What made you delve into this issue?
Uncle Louie: At first, it was just another adventure. It was never supposed to be a career, just a fun and exciting experience. The legend of that golden badge and gun. It seemed like the ultimate hustle. One day I was recording with Nas, and the next day I was starting basic training to be a federal agent. The tragedy of 9/11 made it no longer just an adventure but a responsibility; something I had to keep doing for 20 years. I ended up being promoted 9 times to Chief and finally Director. But in my book, you’ll learn about my fight to end racism within my institution, and you’ll learn about the biases I faced. This is definitely not a perfect situation.
AllHipHop: Do you think rapping and law enforcement are in a better place now?
Uncle Louie: I think some parts of rapping are broken, and likewise, some parts of law enforcement are broken. To solve both problems, we all have to come together and acknowledge this. We need to innovate, communicate, and develop plans to correct shortcomings. I think it’s certainly possible, but to do that we have to take the politics out of it. We cannot solve these problems by turning left or right, we must move forward. Civil rights such as free speech and the right to expression without censorship mean a lot to me. As an artist, I have to fight for these rights, and as the book explains, it’s not always easy.
AllHipHop: J-Lo, LL Cool J and Mary J. Blige are all in your bio. What was it like working with those celebrities as a producer?
Uncle Louie: One of my fondest memories is actually working in the studio with Slick Rick and Nas. That time often lingers in my mind. That’s when I really understood how music is made. It was also a great experience working with Wyclef, even helping produce LL Cool J’s diss record, he was very important to me and Markie Dee. We often had dinner with L at Francis Lewis Boulevard. I am very grateful for this and hope more people pay attention to the founder of the foundation. I have fun memories of working with J-Lo, and of course, Diddy was talking about hip-hop and law enforcement at the time. Markey is most proud of the Marie project, with “What’s the 411” being one of his greatest production achievements.
AllHipHop: Tell us about your famous mentors.
Uncle Louie: I’ve had a very diverse group of mentors throughout my career. Eric B has been my mentor for 30 years, he is my big brother and mentor. I discuss this topic several times in the book. As I mentioned before, Michael Strahan also gave me valuable guidance. I also learned a lot from working with WWE star Goldberg when I was the President of Wrestling Legends, and I learned when to let go of something that I felt wasn’t right for me, even if it was fun and successful.
I also want to mention how much I learned working with Daymond John. He wasn’t really a mentor, but working with him on many projects and developing products with him and Simon Newbolt for the Black Entrepreneurs Day event and Shark Group of Companies taught me a lot about working with sharks Knowledge.
AllHipHop: Last word? What do you hope people take away from this book?
Uncle Louie: I hope people gain confidence from this book. As a kid who grew up with his father in prison, I had big dreams. My dreams would be unrealistic to most people, but I continue to chase them and continue to do my best to leave the world a better place than I found it. For me, my love for rap music will never change. I will always love America too. There’s no reason these things have to be mutually exclusive. I loved serving on America’s front lines and I can’t wait to see what happens next! I am grateful to Chris R. Vaccaro for working with me on this book. This project took more than 3 years to complete. Hope hip-hop fans will enjoy it!
Buy “American Frontline: From Hip-Hop to Homeland Security”
